Not lucky in anything special, just incredibly blessed by God! How lucky we are!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Accounting Widow

And so it begins...Tax Season 2011. The time of year when I've honestly got more time on my hands than I know what to do with...or maybe it's actually the time of year when I truly realize how lazy I am! Every year I have big plans for things to accomplish while Hubby is working long hours...many of which have to do with keeping the house nice & organized. And most of the time those goals go right out the window and I end up spending my extra time catching up on worthless tv shows.

So...instead of New Year's resolutions, which I don't really believe in anyway, this year I'm going to make some Tax Season goals and hopefully by actually putting them here I'll be a little more likely to stick with them. And maybe, just maybe, they'll stick throughout the rest of the year.

1. Spend time with my Heavenly Father each day. This really should be no problem since I now have some extra time when Nick leaves for work so early. Weekends are more difficult, when my routine is thrown off---so my realistic goal for now is to have consistent time with him 5 days each week. I've also realized that this doesn't always have to be reading a devotional--just some good quality time with my Father. Pandora came loaded on my nookColor so at Hubby's suggestion, my mornings may consist of singing praise & worship to the one who is my Creator. I love to sing, and while everyone may not think I'm fabulous, God's opinion is really the only one that matters. This will definitely help with the monotony that I think sometimes comes with reading a devotion each day.

2. Get organized! Ok, so for those who know me, most would say I'm already there. However, I seriously need to tackle my bathroom cabinets...I mean you only need so much old makeup and perfume and practically empty bottles of hairspray and lotion. I also need to work on my pantry, the holidays did a real number on my kitchen organization! And also, with all the new clothes from Christmas and a pretty extensive shopping spree back in the late fall, my closet needs to be ransacked...and fast! And purses...seriously, let's not even go there! Maybe I'll just start putting together a good stash for our next garage sale!

3. Stay on top of the cleaning! I should really be better about this, but I seriously despise cleaning! Nick & I are both really good about keeping the house picked up, but I need to be better about deep cleaning for often than I do. I guess my specific goal in this would be to clean at least one room of the house each week. Living room, kitchen, bedroom, & bathroom ( our guest areas don't really count since they are rarely used). That's one room for each week of the month---definitely attainable!

4. Exercise...or something! Ok, here's the deal. For the most part I'm able to maintain my weight with portion control & simply just watching what I eat. However, that also means that I seriously neglect the whole fitness aspect. We are not members of a fitness center (the money is seriously just wasted when the summer months come) and we don't own a treadmill. I've tried The Shred and seriously, Jillian--I don't like you! My best friend has semi-challenged me to a MayDay 5k and I haven't decided if I'm accepting the challenge or not--but I guess this might be the specific goal for me. 5k or not...I'd love to be more fit...any cheap, easy at-home ideas?

5. Channel my inner Pioneer Woman! Ok, well maybe not with all the oil & butter & heavy cream...but I'd love to try a new recipe every couple of weeks. Nick & I both tend to be fairly picky eaters so I need to find some yummy, healthy options that don't get too weird! Any websites the bloggy world might recommend?

6. Be an encouraging, supportive wife! This time of year always wears on Nick, and while the benefits are certainly amazing...it's this time of year when he needs my support the most. Whether it's offering to iron his shirts, keeping the house picked up, or going the extra mile in encouragement, I really want to be as supportive as I can possibly be during these 105 days...or really every single day of our marriage.

And, well at least that's a start. It really does read like a laundry list of resolutions. However, with my specific goals in mind hopefully I can reach these & feel good about my accomplishments as I mark them off the list! So...Tax Season 2011...here I come!

I could've written this post myself! My hubby's an accountant too and kicked off the season by leaving town for the week early this morning. He's traveling 11 weeks this busy season. :( I'm starting a list of things I want to get finished while he's gone and I'm thinking about planning a couple 'getaway' weekends for him (even if it's just getting a hotel room for a night or lounging around the house all weekend without him having to worry about cleaning/house projects/the dog/etc). Glad to know there's another accounting widow blogger out there!

So...I guess that I should get used to the idea that I will not have much of a life during busy season. :-) I'm starting work at an accounting firm this fall after graduation...I'm really excited, but also a little nervous about surviving busy season! I never thought about it from the spouse's point of view. I hope you are able to accomplish everything on your list!